Johnson and Daly Set for the International Stage

DAVIS, Calif. – Recruited from warmer, tropical climates, Chelsea Johnson and Georgia Daly have brought with them elite skills in the pool while representing their home countries on the highest levels of international competition.
 
That experience and level of knowledge has carried over to Schaal Aquatics Center and flirted through the ranks of their UC Davis women’s water polo teammates.
 
Johnson hails from Brisbane, Australia, while Daly calls Auckland, New Zealand home and the two Aggies have goals of playing for their respective countries under global lights this coming August at the 2025’s edition of the World Aquatics U20 Women’s Water Polo Championships, located in Salvador, Brazil.
 
It’s no surprise this pair have been called to action for their homeland teams. This season alone, these international athletes have numbered up some impressive stat lines. Johnson, the Aggies’ starting defender, has registered 26 goals, 32 assists, 42 steals, and drawn 35 exclusions across the in-season games. Daly, putting up big numbers as a freshman, has logged 24 goals, 32 drawn exclusions, and has made seven steals.
 
Johnson has been a part of great success in her home country of Australia, being crowned Queensland State Champion, Australian National Club Champion, a U18 and U20 Brisbane Championship winner, and she has competed in the Australian Youth Championships for multiple years.
 
In summer of 2024, she traveled with a U20 squad for a European tour in preparation for this year’s world championships with the Australian team.
 
“Even though it wasn’t the official world champs we played in, it was nice to travel with the girls I’ve been playing with my whole life” says Johnson. “It was nice to play against other teams and experiencing the European style of water polo.”
 
Known for a rougher, quicker sort of game where calls will not always go the way you want them to, “we had to adjust to fact you can’t play to the whistle; but to just get the ball in the back of the net.’
 
“Because the U19 at the time will be the U20 this year, the coaches thought it’d be good to start scouting the teams we’d play at champs, so it was good exposure to play the teams we could face this year” notes Johnson.
 
Daly was selected for the 2023 U20 traveling team with the Tūīs, named after a bird native only to the island of New Zealand. For years, Daly had been competing and moving up the ladder and just a mere eight months before the Portugal championships, she was called up to play in the U20 squad.
 
“When I had gotten that email, I was so grateful and excited to be going. Months before, I didn’t even think that I would be training with the group at all” says Daly. However, Daly was called to action after the main center drew out of the roster due to injury, making Georgia the official 15th member of the national team.
 
“That all happened within three days, it was a weird getting all these emails with massive news. It was also my first time representing New Zealand, so it was nerve-wracking, but I was mainly excited for the opportunity to play.”
 
She still recalls the electric game against Canada, where the New Zealand team crossed the threshold to become part of the top eight competitors in the tournament.
 
It’s undeniable that they have brought their foreign expertise to the small California town, eager to share their knowledge and elite experience to the pool deck every day. “In Australia, we had a chat about what it meant to be a Stinger and legacy we want to leave.
 
“Showing leadership, emphasizing nutrition, leading by example, and leaning into different styles of play is important. Even though we all play the same game, it ultimately differs from country to country and there’s so much to learn.”
 
Making the Aggies and the Stingers proud, Johnson filled big shoes and started at defender for the Aggies all season in just her second year.
 
Daly credits the national team for teaching her resiliency. “It showed me how much hard work pays off, and I don’t think I would have been pulled up to the squad if I didn’t stay motivated and chose to go extra mile every day.
 
“It also made me really appreciate my coaches and family and showed me how much I love this sport and how great it is to represent my country.”
 
Johnson looks forward to the final selection camp in June, where the Stingers will solidify their final team for the U20 tournament in Brazil. Meanwhile, Daly will head back to New Zealand in May for her final selection camp to be part of the recently rebranded New Zealand White Caps, paying homage to the peaks of the waves surrounding their country.
 
The pair of internationally experienced Aggies have also gained priceless experience from what Davis has offered them for them to carry into this summer’s stretch of competition and on to the international stage.
 
This story is an example of UC Davis Athletics’ commitment to the Ignite Strategic Plan Pillar of “Competitive Excellence” by recruiting and developing high performing student-athletes on the international stage. Read more about our strategic plan here; IGNITE.